Croup in children - a Canadian Medical Association Review

Congratulations to TREKK Co-director, David Johnson and Candice Bjornson whose review, Croup in Children, was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal {October 15, 2013, 185(15)}.

Keys points from the review:

• Croup is the second most common cause of respiratory distress in children and caused by a viral upper respiratory infection.
• It is characterized by the abrupt onset of barky cough, inspiratory stridor, hoarseness and respiratory distress.
• Oral cortocosteroids reduce the severity and duration of respiratory distress, the need for hospital admission, airway intubations and repeat health care visits.
• For children with severe respiratory distress, nebulized epinephrine yields rapid but temporary relief.
• Most children, including many with severe respiratory distress at presentation, can be safely discharged home after treatment and a few hours of observation.

The review is on the CMAJ website. Please note: online access is only available to Canadian Medical Association members or with a subscription to the CMAJ.

A clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis and management of croup can be found on the Towards Optimized Practice Program (TOP) website. TOP helps Alberta physicians and the teams with whom they work implement evidence-based practices to enhance the care of their patients.